Book review: Forensic Psychology: Theory, Research Policy and Practice
| Author | Hannah Darrell-Berry |
| Date | 01 September 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0264550517724040a |
| Published date | 01 September 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book reviews |
Such a stance is bound to resonate with criminal justice practitioners who seek to
place primacy upon building a working alliance, as opposed to an exclusive
emphasis on the procedural aspects of risk management.
Towl and Crighton are clear: the quantitative data has been gathered and suf-
ficiently analysed – indeed it seems to be them who have done much of this
invaluable legwork. What now needs to happen is for this knowledge to be trans-
lated into a model of prison practice that is psychologically informed, appropriately
resourced and humane, to both staff and prisoners. For such conditions to emerge
the prison population must reduce. At present, there is little sign of the political
courage necessary for such a change of direction, but in its absence Towl and
Crighton have offered an accessible and irrefutable case for how prisons them-
selves might start to do things differently.
Reference
Ministry of Justice (2017) Safety in Custody Statistics Bulletin, England and Wales, Deaths in
prison custody to March 2017, A ssaults and Self-Harm to Dece mber 2016.London:
Ministry of Justice Press Office.
Forensic Psychology: Theory, Research Policy and Practice
Jennifer Brown, Yvonne Shell and Terri Cole
Sage; 2015; pp. 408; £30.99; pbk
ISBN: 9781473911949
Reviewed by: Hannah Darrell-Berry, Clinical Psychologist, NPS (North
West)
What separates this book from numerous others in the field of forensic psychology is
its refreshingly realistic, honest and systemic examination of the role of forensic
psychologists in the criminal justice system. The authors balance a ‘warts and all’
account of the difficult aspects of the role with an encouraging focus on how forensic
psychologists can work effectively, even within difficult political climates. Accord-
ingly, its publication, in the midst of economic austerity, increasing levels of pri-
vatization and Brexit feels timely.
Those contemplating, or in the infancy of, a career in forensic psychology
are likely to benefit most from the book, given its emphasis on answering fun-
damental questions such as, ‘What is forensic psychology?’ (p. 4) and ‘What is
the criminal justice system?’ (p. 7). Nevertheless, it advances to comprehen-
sively consider the broader ideological and political context in which forensic
practitioners operate: a progression which will positively challenge readers,
regardless of levels of experience.
Book reviews 303
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